Fate & Reality
by freckleface
Summary: My version of what happens after the first season finale. DannyMary
1. Chapter 1

It quite possibly was the worst day of Mary Connell's life. It seemed fate decided to deal her a cold hand of reality that shook her to her core and left her confidence and spirit in shambles.

The day started out pretty good for a Monday, however it went sour the moment she walked into the hotel. Supposedly, one of the acts coming today came down with the flu (in May mind you), one of the lounge singers decided that public nudity is a new part of his act, and finally she started to fell PMSie. Once all these crisis' were cleared up a major bomb was dropped, her father was back.

Mary by far is one of the most caring people in the world, but even she had dark moments in her past. With the return of her father came a flood of memories, starting with her early, horrible childhood. By the age of 4, her drunk of a mother finally and her father had free reign of the house and her. Her only sanctuary was the McCoys.

It was by complete accident that the Connell family met the McCoys. Susie McCoy and Lanie Connell (who at the time was clean) met at the grocery store and fought over the last big of diapers and one thing lead to another and they became friends.

Now, Susie recognized that Lanie and her family had some major issues; it wasn't until latter that she discovered how bad it truly was. For about two years Susie and her husband Larry tried to remain a constant positive influence in Lanie and Mary's life, hopping that some realization would befall on Lanie and lead her to leave her husband, but sadly no such thing happened. Day by day, month by month they saw Lanie fall apart and slip back into her old ways. Along the way she neglected Mary and left the McCoys to deal with the aftermath.

Lanie's running away was both a blessing and curse. It was blessing in that she got away from her husband and hopefully could find some peace. It was a curse because she left Mary at the mercy of her father. Mary's father, Mark Connell, was a truly evil man who manipulated his wife and did unspeakable things to his daughter. The day Lanie ran away was the day Mary was unofficial adopted into the McCoy family.

Mary was awaking from her day dreaming from the familiar British accent of her dear friend Nessa.

"Are you alright" asked Nessa. "you look like you just saw a ghost or something. Do ya need a glass of water or something?"

Mary turned the side of heard and sniffled a bit before turning towards Nessa and said "No I'm ok…just a little attack of PMS….nothing to worry about."

"Well, that's good. You had me worried there for a second….I though I was going to have to start to sing or something to make you laugh. You know my singing…it can make the most depressed person laugh out of fear some window was going to break. Blood Hell I'm just scared thinking about it."

"No I'm good………..Hey have you seen Danny?" asked Mary.

" Nope hadn't seen him….Bet his up in the Surveillance Room being a complete idiot with Mike as the usually are."

Mary nodded in response and waved goodbye faking a meeting she had to run to. As she walked away she had a sinking feeling in the bottom of her pit that the horrors of the day had only just began.

_A couple of hours later _

Danny was a complete mess and only by the grace of god did he have the ability to appear otherwise. It seemed wherever he turned somebody wanted something out of him. His father need him to be the ideal son and take over the family business, Ed needed him to be the son he never had and not report to duty, and the list went on from Mike to Sam to Delinda to Nessa. The only person who had yet to confront him was his rock, Mary.

That's who he was in search of right now. The moment he received his orders a thousand thoughts entered throughout his head, yet the only one to remain was Mary and how he was going to have to face her. IN the end he could deal with his own emotions, what he couldn't deal with was Mary breaking down and he had a feeling this was going to make her.

He was walking through the casino floor when he finally came upon Mary. The moment he saw her, he felt his strength disappear and for a tenth of a second thought about taking Ed's offer up; however, his sense of duty and belief in the Corp brought him back to reality. As he closed in on Mary took a big breath and told her about being called back to duty, unknown to him Mary's inner struggle upon seeing her father.

It was upon hearing Danny's news that Mary's life was turned upside down and she had the deepest desire to curl up into a ball and let Danny protect her from reality.


	2. Danny

After Danny and Mary had talked, Mary went off in search of some kind of solitude. Danny on the other hand was on a mission; he was going to get through this day and do what needs to be done. He found Ed standing in the casino and walked up determinedly and told Ed his wish for him to be the executor of his will. Danny realized that this was a hard thing to ask of Ed, but it was the right thing to do. He knew Mary couldn't handle and she was a major beneficiary of the will, his father despite their strained relationship also couldn't handle it, so logically Ed was the answer. Hmph…thought Danny when Ed mentioned his father…..there was a can of worms.

Danny McCoy had a pretty good childhood. It wasn't until the age of 9 that the shit hit the fan. His mother, the love of his fathers life, was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. Danny remembered the day he found out something was wrong; it was just a normal Tuesday afternoon. He, Mary, and Greg had just come home from school and were waiting impatiently for their afternoon snack. He remembered his mom was moving a little slower that day and he was being quite a bit of a snot, but then all of a sudden his mother fainted and the next thing he knew it was three months later and he was at a funeral with Mary holding his hand just as confused as he was.

From that moment on the McCoy family had almost fallen apart if it weren't for a little girl who was determined to keep them together for her sake and theirs. Danny and Larry loved each other deeply, but something was missing. It was as if Larry had a chunk of his heart missing that would always make him slightly aloof to the world and his son's emotions. Luckily for Danny, Mary was there, even at the age of 9, forcing them to bond.

The years following Lanie McCoy's death were definitely stormy….reflected Danny…. The only time he and his father ever truly interacted was when they worked at job sites and had what Mary dubbed "Sunday Dinner". His teenage years brought about a whole new level to their relationship, especially when Mary moved in. The relationship reached a boiling point in his senior year second semester when Danny decided to forgo the family business and join the Marines.

There were many reasons promoting him to join the Marines, but the prevailing one had to be the fact that he was getting too….too…..something with Mary and he did not like where it was heading. And second of all he did not want to end up like his father. He went into the Marines to escape and now it has led him to the present predicament.

Now Danny loved being a Marine and truly believed in the Corp. The Corp helped turn him into the man he was today. They gave him an education that will forever prove to be invaluable. He went in a confused high school graduate private and came out a Lt. with a college degree.

He never truly talked about what it was that he did in the Marines, but it was widely known that he was in the counter intelligence, but beyond that it was pretty much don't ask don't tell kind of thing (well…..expect for Ed…who knows about everything). Danny knew, and mostly likely Ed did too , that him being called back was a pretty serious thing and he didn't want to admit that to anyone…especially Mary.

Danny was drawn from his thoughts by running into Sam who proceed to tell him that Mary was looking for him and that her father was there today. And Danny nearly lost it. IF there was anyone in the world who Danny would kill with out a single thought it would be Mark Connell and there had been a couple of times he almost did.

Danny knew he had to find Mary….he had to protect her…..like he always did……..


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh God" thought Mary as she shut the door after having watch Danny and Mike drive away. What a day it had been. An emotional rollercoaster that left her utterly confused, yet at the same time a little hopeful. Hopeful that this time will not end up like last time Danny went away, but instead they will end up together. She knew it was hopeful thinking, but hey maybe Danny will recognized what everybody else did, which was that they belong together.

Mary sat back down on the bed and started to cry. She cried for about a good hour and would have continued if it weren't for the knock on the door. As she walked to the door she tried to clear up her face and put on a smile, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.

On the other side of door were Mary's three best friends Nessa, Sam, and Delinda all holding some kind of comfort food.

"Bloody Hell….if you are going to look like that for the next couple of months I think I might I have to shoot ya" said Nessa.

"I know! Seriously, it's not the end of the world….. its Danny we're talking about. He'll back before you know it and you can ridicule him and nag on him all you want" remarked Delinda Deline.

"I completely agree" stated Sam with half of her mouth full of chocolate.

Mary sighed and wiped a tear from her eye. "I just wish it were like that…..but I can't stop thinking I will never seem him again. And you guys know what the worst thing about this whole situation…it's the fact that I can't be angry with him. I hate the fact that him going away makes me love him even more. He's only doing the honorable thing, his duty. And right now I so desperately want to hate him."

The three girls look to one another and none of them knew how to respond. The Danny/Mary saga was a long and complicated and many levels (especially the most recent) were unknown to them, and thus they were very cautious in giving advice on what to do. So in the end they just brought out the alcohol and the chick flicks and laughed and cried the night away.

_Somewhere else in Las Vegas_

"God I love this town" said Danny.

Mike looked across towards him and said "Man you love something else too, but I don't get why you won't admit it. Its obvious to everybody but you."

" …..it's complicated. I mean I do love her….god I love her so much….but…I don't know there's something holding me back….fear….." stated Danny.

"What do you mean fear?" mike questioned. "What can you fear? That it won't work out….Man its you and Mary….If you guys aren't meant to be"

"I'm sorry man I'm just not ready for this conservation" stated Danny cutting him off

"Then I guess the only question I have left is when are you going to be ready. You know she isn't going to wait forever."

Danny looked hard and long at Mike and finally said "yeah I know….yeah I know"

Mike laughed and parked the car and turned to Danny "Don't worry I'll watch out for her as long as you get back in one piece alright? You just get back in one piece"

The men hugged and parted ways. Both of them petrified of the future.


End file.
